RETRO ROBERTS-The Forgotten Bittersweetness of Trafalgar Day

‘England expects that every man will do his duty.’

Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

FOREWORD: If there’s one thing I love doing when I write, it’s drawing attention to things people may not necessarily be aware of. Today is one of those days. 21st October is an extremely significant day in the history of Great Britain, yet it is sadly bypassed in terms of the mainstream knowledge.

Today marks the 215th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, one of the most crucial Naval victories in this island’s history. Under the command of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, a personal hero of mine, this battle was instrumental in turning the European tide against the wrath of Napoleon and the French.

Naval heritage runs in my family; my mother’s grandad served on the ships during World War II, whilst my father’s brother is a retired Naval Commander and my step-uncle serves on the submarines. Trafalgar Day is something I therefore celebrate with great pride because of such connections.

That is why today, I am bringing you Edition II of Retro Roberts, with a piece I wrote on Trafalgar Day three years ago, when I was 16. It is completely unedited, except for the photos, which I’ve omitted for simplicity’s sake. Also, the caption for the photo at the end is me writing in 2020. Happy reading!

One of my favourite photos ever taken. This is my sister (aged four) and I (aged seven) aboard HMS Albion in 2008, when it was docked in HMNB Devonport near Plymouth. The man we are with is our uncle Dean, now a retired Navy Commander, who worked aboard Albion. The Royal Navy ensign is fluttering in the background. This picture now hangs proudly in my uni room.

The Forgotten Bittersweetness of Trafalgar Day

To most people, the 21st October is just another regular day in the calendar. However, to a select few, including myself, it is more than just that.

21st October 2017 marks the 212th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. I bet when you hear the word ‘Trafalgar’, you think of Trafalgar Square, the famous tourist attraction in the heart of London. To be honest, I wouldn’t blame you if this was true; Trafalgar Day, to me, is probably the most important day of the year which has been all-but-consigned to the pages of history. Why is this? The whole existence of Trafalgar Square is down to today, and let me explain why…

The Battle of Trafalgar was one of the many battles of the Napoleonic Wars, a series of wars taking place between 1803 and 1815. Although many countries were involved, the Napoleonic Wars was mainly contested between two countries; Great Britain (led by King George III and, between 1810 and the end of the wars, George, the Prince Regent) and France (led by Napoleon I, better known as Napoleon Bonaparte), in alliance with Spain. Many famous battles took place during these wars (including the Battle of Waterloo-basically the reason why Abba and Sweden won Eurovision in 1974) on both land and at sea. Of course, Waterloo was the most famous battle on land as it was the final Napoleonic battle, resulting in a French defeat and the exile of Napoleon. However, the Battle of Trafalgar was by far the most famous Napoleonic battle at sea. Can you guess what happened?

Of course you can-a victory for the Royal Navy of the British Empire! Thanks to the genius tactics of the man that led us into the battle, Admiral and 1st Viscount Horatio Nelson aboard HMS Victory, a fleet of 33 Franco-Spanish ships were defeated by the fleet of 27 British ships. However, this was no ordinary victory; Trafalgar became the greatest victory in the history of the Royal Navy. But why was this exactly?

Napoleon had for years been planning to invade England and capture it in the name of the First French Empire, but Trafalgar ultimately brought an end to these plans. Out of the fleet of 33 Franco-Spanish ships, 22 were sunk by the British. Do you know how many British ships were sunk that day? Zero. Lord Nelson’s brilliance meant the victory spectacularly cemented the naval supremacy of a tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean which had been established during the 1700s and, to this day, the United Kingdom still boasts one of the greatest navies in the world.

The victory, however, came at a price. Nelson, who became one of Britain’s war heroes alongside others (people such as Sir Francis Drake, Florence Nightingale, Sir Winston Churchill and many more) as a result of the victory, was fatally shot by a French musketeer. On his return to Britain, he was given a state funeral and was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Traditionally, current and former marines celebrate Trafalgar Day with a celebratory evening. A glass of port is always raised to commemorate the victory and the life of Lord Nelson.

I feel as though Trafalgar Day should be celebrated a lot more by British generations alike. Britain is a tiny island and has constantly been under threat of invasion throughout its history. Whether it be Roman Emperor Claudius, the Vikings, Norman King William the Conqueror, the Scottish, the Spanish Armada, Napoleon or even Adolf Hitler-there has always been someone that dreams of conquering Britain. However, the last time Britain succumbed to any invasion attempt was 1066! For nearly 1000 years, we have kept the cross of St. George and, since its creation in 1707, the Union Jack flying high in this country. Victory at Trafalgar is one of many reasons for this, and the fact it is hardly celebrated outside of the Navy isn’t right. Trafalgar Day has always been special to me-I remember presenting a PowerPoint to my junior school when I was in Year 5-and it should be special to you because, without it, we could all be speaking French.

END.

Tonight, I’ll be joining Royal Navy sailors, officers and veterans across the country in raising a glass of port to commemorate the incredible life of Admiral Nelson, as well as countless others who we’ve lost throughout the centuries fighting on the see for Britain’s freedom. Happy Trafalgar Day everyone.